In the history of Canada the Loyal Orange Association has
played an activerole. Although it is not known when or where the first
Orange meetingsoccurred there is evidence of activity in the very early
1800s. At that timethe majority population of Canada was Protestant and
located in UpperCanada. Many were Orangemen.

In Brockville, Ontario in 1830 the Orange Association was
officially formedlargely through the efforts of Ogle R. Gowan who came to
Canada fromWexford, Ireland in 1829. Gowan called a general meeting of all
Orangemen onNew Year's Day 1830 and the result was the forming of the
Grand Orange Lodgeof British America with Gowan as the first Grand
Master.

The first Orange Lodge warrant issued by the new G.O.L. of B.A.
was toBrockville L.O.L. No. 1. There had been Lodges operating in Canada
earlierthan this. Orangeism was introduced first at Saint John, New
Brunswick bymilitary lodges from British ships and regiments stationed
there.

There is evidence that Orangemen were with General James Wolfe
at the Battleof the Plains of Abraham in 1759. Orangemen also fought with
Isaac Brock atthe Battle of Queenston Heights in the American War of 1812
- 14.

In 1866, Orangemen fought with the Queen's Own Rifles and helped
to holdback the Fenians at Ridgeway, Ontario. Members of Orange Lodges
also playeda big part in suppressing the Upper Canada rebellion of William
LyonMackenzie in 1837. They were also in western Canada in the military
duringthe rebellions of Louis Riel in 1870 and 1885.

After Confederaton ( ie. the founding of the Dominion of Canada)
in 1867,Orangemen served with the military in the Boer War in South Africa
and inthe two World Wars. In World War I alone some 55,000 Orangemen
enlisted.

The city of Toronto held its first Twelfth of July Orange Parade
in 1822 andit has continued uninterrupted ever since. Through the 1920s
and 1930s whenthe Orange Association was at its peak in Canada, Toronto
was known as 'theBelfast of Canada' for the large number of Orange Lodges
operating there andthe tremendous size of its Orange parades. Parades were
also held in everyother province.

Three Canadian Orangemen have been Prime Ministers, namely, Sir
John A.Macdonald, the father of Confederation, Sir Mackenzie Bowell, a
Past GrandMaster of the Grand Orange Lodge of British America, and John
Diefenbaker.Premier Joseph Smallwood who brought Newfoundland into
CanadianConfederation in 1949 was also an Orangeman.

It was an Orangeman, Alexander Muir, who wrote Canada's first
nationalsong - The Maple Leaf Forever.

Since World War II the membership of the Orange Association has
steadilydeclined. Since 1875 the Loyal Orange Association has published an
officialpublication, The Sentinel, which contains Lodge news as well as
religiousarticles and other information.

In 1881, the Orange Association in Canada introduced an
insurance programmefor its members generally known today as 'Orange
Insurance'. The Associationalso has operated many benevolent projects
including children's homes,senior citizen's homes, a research institute
and clinic, disabled person'shostel, children's foundation, and disaster
fund as well as raising fundsfor causes such as cancer research, the heart
foundation, muscular dystrophyand crippled children.

The aims of the Loyal Orange Association in Canada have
included:

1. promotion and extension of the Protestant concept of the
Christianreligion;

2. provide social activities which will enrich lives of its
members and toparticipate in benevolent activities which will enrich
communities andcountry;

3. support for a united Canada with a strong central government
and whereall provinces are equal;

4. promotion of the constitutional Monarchical System of
government as astabilizing force in Canada;

5. the English language as the glue which will hold together all
culturaland ethnic groups;

6. a non-sectarian public school system;

7. a return to Christian principles and values upon which Canada
wasfounded.